University of Doglando looking to expand into Oviedo, bring Doglympics

The owners of the University of Doglando are considering an expansion into Oviedo with a twist: a place for puppies.

Teena Patel, founder and CEO of the University of Doglando, is going before the Seminole County Development Review Committee Jan. 8 for a pre-application meeting. Patel said they are under contract to buy just shy of 10 acres of agricultural land at 3287 N. County Road 46.

The plan is to open Puplando, potentially the nation’s first puppy-only park. It would be interactive, like a theme park, Patel said. Plans include:

Puplando, a day care and training service for puppies starting between 8 weeks old and 24 weeks old. It would be membership driven and supervised by professional dog trainers.

Puppy BREATH — Behavior, Research, Education, Adoption, Training and Health — that would rescue pregnant dogs from the pound and allow the mothers to raise the pups. The eventual goal would be to partner with the University of Central Florida’s psychology department to offer a new program in animal behavior and anthrozoology.

A dog-friendly outdoor restaurant and cafe

A self-sustained petting farm, where farming, milking, making cheese and making soap are taught to children

The facility would house seven full-time employees and three part-time employees at the start, Patel said, and would require very little capital investments to get the operations up and running. If ultimately approved and opened, Patel said they would likely bring the Doglympics — which draws 6,000 people annually — to the site in Oviedo, which would be good news for nearby businesses.

The land is zoned agricultural, though, and Patel said they’ve been told they would need commercial zoning to pursue the site. Patel said it took them three years to open the University of Doglando in Orlando, and if it’s going to be “an uphill battle” again, Patel will pursue a site in Volusia County instead.

“If they are going to make this an uphill battle, I’m not going to fight it this time,” Patel said. “I’m not prepared to do that again, bottom line. Aside from being costly, I don’t have that type of emotional strength anymore.”